JAMES P. BLAIR, JONES & LAUGHLINSTEELCORPORATION
ments recognize both values. They stipulate
there shall always be a Niagara Falls, no mat
ter how great the temptation to divert all the
water for power.
"Did you know, by the way, that the two
countries just finished fixing Horseshoe Falls
so it won't wear out so fast?"
Yes, "wear out": In less than two centuries
erosion has moved the Horseshoe 865 feet
upriver.
"We cured this by deepening the riverbed
on each side," Roger said.
"Before, too much
water went over the center, cutting the Falls
back to its horseshoe shape. Now the flow is
even all the way across, and the wear will be
much less."
The job was completed in 1957 and cost
$17,500,000. No longer does Horseshoe drib
ble around bare places at the corners of its
lips (pages 446-7).
"I Want to See a Bear"
I could fill a book with the hydraulic engi
neering marvels of the Lakes, but my family
is waiting back at the Soo, impatient for the
cool glories of the north woods.
"I want to see a bear," said Janice.
We rolled west, and the uncrowded expanses
of Michigan's Upper Peninsula opened before
Lord of the Lakes, a Snub-nosed Ore Boat
Calls for Cargo at Superior, Wisconsin
Disdaining tugs, Republic Steel Corporation's
Tom M. Girdler sidles up to the half-mile-long
Great Northern Ore Dock, whose loading pockets
and retractable chutes are spaced to match the
vessel's hatches.
Operator at right loads another ship with levers
controlling a chute. Railroad trestle allows gon
dolas to dump ore directly into the pockets.
Among Great Lakes ports. Duluth-Superior
ranks second only to Chicago in total freight ton
nage. Iron ore for furnaces on the lower Lakes
makes up four-fifths of the traffic.
us. Pines joined the hardwoods in the forests
and filled the air with exhilarating fragrance.
Roadside fields glowed with wildflowers
devil's paintbrush, ox-eye daisy, the purple
American vetch.
Fabled Pictured Rocks on the Superior shore
intrigued us with their wave-carved shapes;
Indians once viewed them with awe. In the
early mornings and at dusk deer bounded
across the highways.
"I want to see a bear," persisted Janice.
That is simple once you learn the trick:
You head for the nearest town's garbage pit.
In this you will often be aided by local Cham
bers of Commerce. They know about 8-year
old daughters. They list community dumps
as points of interest and mark the way to them
with signs.
King Bruin Chases Off Competitors
We joined a ring of parked cars at the
Copper Harbor dump on the Keweenaw Pen
insula and watched shaggy bruins rooting in
a mountain of trash. I got out of the car
with the camera, a foolish procedure, for wild
black bears are grumpy and powerful. After
a while the bears suddenly dashed for the
woods, and a woman in the next car berated
me for frightening them off.
I heard a soft sound beside me. I turned,
and the real reason for the exodus of lesser
bears padded by-King Bear, a fine big fellow
who must have liked solitude at table.
"Please stay in the car after this," said
Fran.
"You know you're the only one who
can change a tire!"
Lake Superior's most famous bear is the
one who, in a time of hunger some years back,
padded into Duluth and decided to try the
Hotel Duluth coffee shop. He entered not
by the door but through the plate glass win
dow. A police sergeant sadly shot him when
he refused to leave the sugar bowls. Stuffed,
449